Editing Whitby (section)

===Blubber, Cook and dissolution===
[[File:Whitby Abbey 1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right|The ruins of [[Whitby Abbey]] are reflected in the abbey pond]]

Whitby Abbey surrendered in December 1539 when [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] [[Dissolution of the Monasteries|dissolved]] the monasteries. By 1540 the town had between 20 and 30 houses and a population of about 200.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Brief History – Whitby |url=http://www.whitbysights.co.uk/whitby-history/abriefhistory.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091023143239/http://www.whitbysights.co.uk/whitby-history/abriefhistory.html |archive-date=23 October 2009 |access-date=2 August 2009 |publisher=Whitby Sights}}</ref>
The [[Burgess (title)|burgesses]], who had little independence under the abbey, tried to obtain self-government after the [[dissolution of the monasteries]]. The king ordered [[Letters Patent]] to be drawn up granting their requests, but it was not implemented. In 1550 the [[Liberty (division)|Liberty]] of [[Whitby Strand]], except for Hackness, was granted to the [[Earl of Warwick]] who in 1551 conveyed it to [[Sir John York]] and his wife Anne who sold the lease to the Cholmleys.<ref>{{cite book |title=A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 2 – The liberty of Whitby Strand |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=64700 |pages=502–505 |year=1923 |editor-last=Page |editor-first=William |series=[[Victoria County History]] |publisher=British History Online |access-date=5 September 2010 |archive-date=26 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026121000/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=64700 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the reign of [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]], Whitby was a small fishing port. In 1635 the owners of the liberty governed the port and town where 24 burgesses had the privilege of buying and selling goods brought in by sea. Burgage tenure continued until the {{visible anchor|Whitby (Yorkshire) Improvement Act 1837}} ([[7 Will. 4 & 1 Vict.]] c. x) entrusted government of the town to a board of improvement commissioners, elected by the ratepayers.<ref name=vch/>

At the end of the 16th&nbsp;century [[Thomas Chaloner (courtier)|Thomas Chaloner]] visited [[alum]] works in the [[Papal States]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Balston |first=John |title=The Whatmans and Wove Paper – In Defence of Alum – 2. England |url=http://www.wovepaper.co.uk/alumessay2.html |access-date=2 August 2009 |publisher=John Balston |archive-date=15 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515140918/http://www.wovepaper.co.uk/alumessay2.html |url-status=live }}</ref> where he observed that the rock being processed was similar to that under his [[Guisborough]] estate. At that time alum was important for medicinal uses, in curing leather and for fixing dyed cloths and the Papal States and Spain maintained monopolies on its production and sale. Chaloner secretly brought workmen to develop the industry in Yorkshire, and alum was produced near [[Sandsend Ness]] {{convert|3|mi|km|0}} from Whitby in the reign of [[James I of England|James I]].<ref>{{cite DNB|wstitle= Chaloner, Thomas (1561-1615) |volume= 09 |last= Gibson |first= J.&nbsp;W.|author-link= |pages= 458-459 |year= |short=1}}</ref> Once the industry was established, imports were banned and although the methods in its production were laborious, England became self-sufficient.<ref>{{cite web |date=21 July 2005 |title=Coast – Point 7 – Alum |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/northyorkshire/content/articles/2005/07/21/coast05walks_stageseven.shtml |access-date=2 August 2009 |website=Where I Live – North Yorkshire |publisher=BBC |archive-date=21 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921194637/http://www.bbc.co.uk/northyorkshire/content/articles/2005/07/21/coast05walks_stageseven.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lloyd |first=Chris |date=26 July 2008 |title=Taking the waters |work=The Northern Echo |url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/columnists/chrislloyd/3549153.Taking_the_waters/ |url-status=dead |access-date=30 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090823034244/http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/columnists/chrislloyd/3549153.Taking_the_waters/ |archive-date=23 August 2009}}</ref>
Whitby grew significantly as a port as a result of the alum trade and by importing coal from the Durham coalfield to process it.<ref>{{cite web |title=Alum Quarrying, The effect of extractive industry on the Yorkshire Coastal Landscape |url=http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/ecolodge/25/alum.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716030245/http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/ecolodge/25/alum.htm |archive-date=16 July 2011 |access-date=30 July 2011 |publisher=East Yorkshire Coast – Geology and Geomorphology}}</ref>

Whitby grew in size and wealth, extending its activities to include [[Ship and boat building in Whitby|shipbuilding]] using local [[oak]] timber. In 1790–91 Whitby built 11,754&nbsp;tons of shipping, making it the third largest shipbuilder in England, after London and Newcastle.<ref>{{cite book |last=White |first=Andrew |title=A History of Whitby |publisher=Phillimore & co |year=1993 |isbn=0-85033-842-5 |location=Chichester |page=69}}</ref> Taxes on imports entering the port raised money to improve and extend the town's twin piers, improving the harbour and permitting further increases in trade. In 1753 the first [[whaling]] ship set sail to [[Greenland]] and by 1795 Whitby had become a major whaling port. The most successful year was 1814 when eight ships caught 172 whales, and the [[whaler]], the ''Resolution'''s catch produced 230&nbsp;tons of oil. The carcases yielded 42&nbsp;tons of [[whale bone]] used for '[[Bone (corsetry)|stays]]' which were used in the corsetry trade until changes in fashion made them redundant.<ref>{{cite book |last=Young |first=George |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q4BHAAAAIAAJ&q=whitby++1814&pg=PA199 |title=A picture of Whitby and its environs |publisher=R. Rogers |year=1824 |location=Whitby |page=199}}</ref> [[Blubber]] was boiled to produce oil for use in lamps in four oil houses on the harbourside. Oil was used for street lighting until the spread of gas lighting reduced demand and the Whitby Whale Oil and Gas Company changed into the Whitby Coal and Gas Company. As the market for whale products fell, catches became too small to be economic and by 1831 only one whaling ship, the ''Phoenix,'' remained.<ref>{{cite web |title=Whitby Whalers |url=http://www.whitbysights.co.uk/whitby-history/whitbywhalers.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328014952/http://www.whitbysights.co.uk/whitby-history/whitbywhalers.html |archive-date=28 March 2012 |access-date=22 July 2011 |publisher=Whitby Sights}}</ref>
[[File:Captain James Cook Memorial Monument, Whitby (geograph 7256328).jpg|thumb|Captain Cook's statue]]
Whitby benefited from trade between the Newcastle coalfield and London, both by shipbuilding and supplying transport. In his youth the explorer [[James Cook]] learned his trade on [[Collier (ship type)|colliers]], shipping coal from the port.<ref>{{cite web |last=Simpson |first=David |year=2009 |title=Coal Mining in North East England |url=http://www.englandsnortheast.co.uk/CoalMiningandRailways.html |access-date=20 July 2011 |website=England's North East |archive-date=27 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727095132/http://www.englandsnortheast.co.uk/CoalMiningandRailways.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[HMS Endeavour|HMS ''Endeavour'']], the ship commanded by Cook on his voyage to Australia and New Zealand, was built in Whitby in 1764 by Tomas Fishburn as a coal carrier named ''Earl of Pembroke''. She was bought by the Royal Navy 1768, refitted and renamed.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |year=1966 |title=Ships, Famous |encyclopedia=An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand |publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage/Te Manatū Taonga, Government of New Zealand |url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/S/ShipsFamous/Endeavour/en |editor-last=McLintock |editor-first=A.&nbsp;H. |access-date=5 May 2009 |archive-date=1 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090801100025/http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/S/ShipsFamous/Endeavour/en |url-status=live }}</ref>

Whitby developed as a [[spa town]] in [[Georgian era|Georgian times]] when three [[chalybeate]] springs were in demand for their medicinal and tonic qualities. Visitors were attracted to the town leading to the building of "lodging-houses" and hotels, particularly on the West Cliff.<ref name=vch/>